Patent application title: METHOD AND FILLING SYSTEM FOR FILLING BOTTLES OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS WITH A LIQUID FILLING MATERIAL AND FILLING MATERIAL DISPENSED INTO CONTAINERS

Abstract:

A method for filling bottles or similar containers (2) with a liquid
filling material comprising at least two components, using a filling
system (1) comprising at least one filling element (3) having a fluid
channel (6) for the controlled dispensing of the filling material by way
of at least one dispensing opening (11), said channel forming said
dispensing opening, a liquid valve (13) being disposed in said channel
and said channel being connected to a first component supply container or
vessel (8) by way of a liquid connection (7).

Claims:

1. A method for filling a bottle with a liquid product having at least a
first component and at least one additional component using a filling
system having at least one filler element, which, for the controlled
discharge of the liquid product via at least one discharge opening, has a
liquid channel that forms said discharge opening and has a liquid valve
located therein, said liquid channel communicating with a storage
container or tank of said first component of said liquid product via a
liquid connection, said method comprisingintroducing said at least one
additional component of said liquid productinto the bottle and/or into
the liquid channel connecting the filler element to the storage container
or tank,wherein said at least one additional component of said liquid
product is metered outside said filler element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing said at least one additional
component of said liquid product comprises:introducing said at least one
additional component of said liquid product in a metered manner by using
at least one of a flow meter and a metering pump.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing said at least one additional
component of said liquid product comprises:introducing said at least one
additional component in such a manner that the mixing of said at least
one additional component with the first component of said liquid product
is not effected until said components of said liquid product are inside
the bottle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing said at least one additional
component of said liquid product comprises:introducing said at least one
additional component of said liquid product into the first component of
said liquid product in said liquid channel between the tank and the
filler element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein introducing said at least one additional
component comprisesintroducing said at least one additional component via
an additional discharge opening into the bottle and/or into a liquid flow
of the first component.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising situating the additional
discharge opening for the at least one additional component of the liquid
product in the region of the at least one discharge opening for the first
component of the liquid product.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one discharge opening for
the additional component communicates with at least one metering pump
and/or flow meter.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing two metering pumps
and/or flow meters that communicate with the at least one discharge
opening and at least one ofthe at least one additional second component
of the liquid product, andthe liquid connection.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring said at least one
discharge opening of the filler element to open out in a space that is
closable during a CIP cleaning operation by means of a closing element.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:selecting the first
component of the liquid product to be a main component, andselecting the
at least one additional component of the liquid product to be a component
that provides at least one of taste and color.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, during a current
operation,filling all bottles to be filled with the main component of the
liquid product, and,at the same timefilling a first number of bottles
with a first additional component of the liquid product andfilling at
least one second number of bottles with at least one second addition
component of the liquid product.

12. A filling system for filling a bottle with a liquid product having a
first component and at least one additional component, said filling
system comprising:at least one filler element for the controlled
discharge of the liquid product via at least one discharge opening formed
by a liquid channel;a liquid valve located in said liquid channel,wherein
said liquid channel is in fluid communication, via a liquid connection,
with at least one ofa storage container containing said first component
of said liquid product, anda tank containing said first component of said
liquid product,; andmeans for introducing, in a controlled manner using
at least one of a flow meter and a metering pump, said at least one
additional component of said liquid product into at least one of:said
bottle, andsaid liquid channel that connects said filler element to one
of said storage container and said tankwherein said additional component
of said liquid product is metered outside said filler element.

13. The filling system of claim 12, further comprisingat least one
discharge opening for introducing one additional component of said liquid
product into said bottle and/or into a liquid flow of the first
component.

14. The filling system of claim 13,wherein the at least one discharge
opening for the at least one additional component of said liquid product
is situated in the region of the at least one discharge opening for the
first component of said liquid product.

15. The filling system of claim 13,wherein the at least one discharge
opening for the additional component of said liquid product communicates
with at least one metering pump and/or flow meter.

16. The filling system of claim 13, further comprisingat least two
metering pumps and/or flow meters that provide fluid communication
between the at least one discharge opening and at least one of the at
least one additional second component of said liquid product and said
liquid connector.

17. The filling system of claim 12,wherein the at least one discharge
opening of the filler element opens out in a space that is closable
during a CIP cleaning operation by means of a closing element.

18. A liquid product filled into a bottle, said liquid product comprising
at least one first component and at least one additional
component,wherein the first component and the at least one additional
component are contained unmixed together in the filled, closed bottle.

Description:

[0001]The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of Claim
1, to a filling system according to the preamble of Claim 11 and to a
liquid product filled into containers according to the preamble of Claim
17.

[0002]Beverages filled into bottles, cans or similar containers are for
the most part mixed beverages where a main component, which makes up by
far the largest part of the respectively filled product in terms of
volume, has mixed therewith a further liquid addition component e.g. in
the form of a taste-giving, highly concentrated flavouring. Said mixing
is generated, in practice, inside a mixing system that is also referred
to as a "mixer" and is located upstream of the filling machine in the
process cycle, in which the product mixed from the two components is then
filled into the containers.

[0003]Examples of these types of mixed beverages are, among other things,
water+liquid flavouring or taste-giving addition, water+liquid flavouring
or taste-forming addition+sugar, water+liquid flavouring or taste-giving
addition+basic syrup etc. Mixed beverages produced in this manner are,
for example, fruit juices or cola beverages, also with the addition of
carbonation.

[0004]A disadvantage with said methods of operation, among other things,
is that the mixer in which the components forming the mixed beverage
(water and/or sugar and/or basic syrup and/or flavouring and/or
carbonation) are mixed is a unit that is separated spatially from the
filling machine, and that, consequently, there is a need for connecting
lines between the mixer and the filling machine which, just as liquid
connections inside the filling machine, contain a considerable liquid
volume.

[0005]At each product change, for example when changing the addition
component(s) but also when changing the basic component, it is necessary
[to flush out] the entire liquid volume contained inside the overall
system, in particular also from the pipelines between mixer and filling
machine and from the individual supply lines of each filler valve. As a
rule, a large part of said liquid volume has to be discarded at the same
time.

[0006]In addition to the loss of high quality product that occurs in this
case, it is also disadvantageous that in practice the product change or
the component change is very time consuming just from the necessary
emptying of the connecting lines.

[0007]In order to avoid these disadvantages, it has already been proposed
(EP 0 775 668 B1) to mix an additional component to a basic component
inside the respective filler element and during the filling procedure or
during the filling phase by introducing said additional component in a
monitored and controlled manner via a flow meter into the section of the
liquid channel of the filler element that is directly connected to an
annular tank or communicates via an opening with the annular tank, i.e.
in the direction of flow of the liquid product upstream of the liquid
valve located in the liquid channel. Among other things, the disadvantage
of this is that an undesired mixing of the additional component with the
first component or main component contained in the annular tank cannot be
reliably avoided, such that during the filling operation, the main
component contained in the annular tank is increasingly augmented by the
additional component, thus making a filling of mixed beverages with a
constant, reproducible quality not possible.

[0008]It is the object of the invention to provide a method which, with
constant, reproducible quality of the filled product, enables a product
change or component change and in this case especially a change in the at
least one addition component, reducing the loss of high quality product
and reducing expenditure of time.

[0009]This object is achieved by a method corresponding to Claim 1. A
filling system for accomplishing the method is the object of Claim 11. A
product filled into bottles or similar containers is the object of Claim
17.

[0010]In the case of a general embodiment of the invention, the addition
of the at least one addition component to the first component or basic
component is effected outside the respective filler element, preferably
via at least one additional discharge opening for the at least one
additional component, directly into the containers to be filled and/or
into a flow of the at least one first component flowing to the container
during the filling operation or during the filling phase.

[0011]Especially in the case of said embodiment of the method according to
the invention, it is not necessary to mix the components before and/or
during introduction into a container. It has been shown that the
components are mixed sufficiently with the mixed liquid product, for
example with the mixed beverage whenever the components are introduced
separately and consecutively into the respective container. The mixing is
effected then in many cases quasi automatically, for example through
agitation and through the movements occurring during transport or when
the container is handled. In addition, it is also possible, however, for
the components not to be stirred up in the closed container until
reaching the final consumer, for example by the container being shaken,
whereas the components are deliberately present beforehand in the closed
container, for example in such a manner that in a container made of
transparent material (e.g. glass or crystal clear plastics material) the
"colourless" basic component is situated above the somewhat heavier
coloured and/or taste-forming further component or vice versa, which can
also be utilized as an additional marketing effect.

[0012]In the case of another general embodiment of the invention, the
addition of the at least one additional component to the first component
or basic component is also effected outside the respective filler element
or outside the liquid channel, realized in the filler element and
containing the liquid valve, in the fluid or liquid connection between
the respective filler element and a storage container or tank, via which
the at least one first component or basic component is supplied to the
respective filler element.

[0013]Advantages of the method according to the invention or of the device
according to the invention consist, among other things, in that a
constant, reproducible quality of the filled product is achieved, and in
that the product volume to be discarded during a product or component
change is small as no mixing product produced from the components or only
a very small volume of such a mixing product is situated inside the
connections of the filling system or of the respective filling machine.
The amount of product to be discarded during a product change and also
the time expended for a product change are consequently clearly reduced
with reproducible filling results.

[0014]Further developments of the invention are the objects of the sub
claims.

[0015]The invention is described below by way the Figures of exemplary
embodiments, in which, in detail:

[0016]FIG. 1 shows a simplified representation of a filling system
according to the invention, together with a container that is realized as
a bottle;

[0017]FIGS. 2 and 3 show the filling system in FIG. 1 in different
operating states;

[0018]FIGS. 4 and 5 show representations as in FIG. 1 of modified
embodiments of the filling system in FIG. 1;

[0019]FIG. 6 shows a representation similar to FIG. 1 of a further
embodiment of the filling system according to the invention;

[0020]FIG. 7 shows the filling system in FIG. 6 in the operating state of
"flushing";

[0021]FIG. 8 shows a modification of the filling system in FIG. 6.

[0022]In FIGS. 1-3 the reference 1 is given in general to a filling system
for filling bottles 2 with a liquid product or fill product which
consists of at least two components, of which one is a basic or main
component and one is an addition component or additional component
ZK/ZK', for example a taste-forming and/or colour/giving addition.

[0023]The filling system 1, which in the embodiment represented is a
component part of a filling machine of the rotary type, comprises in a
known manner per se a filler element 3, which is provided with a
plurality of similar-type filler elements at the periphery of a rotor 4
of the filling machine 1, said rotor being driveable in a rotating manner
about a vertical machine axis.

[0024]A liquid channel 6 is realized in a housing 5 of the filler element
3, said liquid channel, at an upper end via a liquid connection formed at
least partially by a line 7, serving, with the tank 8, which is common to
all the filler elements 2 of the filling system 1 and is provided on the
rotor 4, for the accommodating of the main component or first component.
In the case of an operational filling system 1, the tank 8, which is
realized, for example, as an annular tank, is filled in a
level-controlled manner up to the level N with the component HK.

[0025]In the liquid connection between the tank 8 and each filler element
3 or its liquid channel 6, there is provided a flow meter 9, which, for
example, is a magnetic/inductive flow meter supplying an electric signal,
which corresponds to the volume flow or to the amount of component HK
flowing to the respective filler element 3, to a control unit 10 that is
formed, for example, by a computer, said control unit being provided in
common for all the filler elements 3 of the filling system 1 and, for
example, being the computer controlling the filling machine.

[0026]In the region of the underside of the filler element 3, the liquid
channel 6 forms a discharge opening 11 for discharging the liquid product
to each bottle 2 to be filled. A gas block 12 is provided in the
discharge opening 11, said gas block in the embodiment represented being
formed by an insert that is provided with a plurality of passages or
channels in the manner of a sieve.

[0027]A liquid valve 13 for the controlled discharge of the component HK
is located in the liquid channel 6 between the upper connection to the
liquid connection 7 and the bottom discharge opening 11. In a known
manner the liquid valve 13 comprises a valve body 14, which is moveable
up and down in the vertical direction between a closed position and an
open position, i.e. in the axis of the filler element FA, and in the
closed position abuts against a valve seat in the liquid channel 6 by way
of a seal. The controlled opening and closing of the liquid valve 13 is
effected via an actuating device 15 controlled by the control unit 10,
among other things also as a function of the measuring signal supplied by
the flow meter 9.

[0028]The reference 6 in FIG. 1 identifies a fluid connection formed by a
fluid channel, said fluid connection being used for introducing the
additional component ZK into the respective bottle 2 and, for this
purpose, forms an additional discharge opening 17 on the underside of the
filler element 3. In the case of the embodiment in FIGS. 1-3, the
discharge opening 17 is provided on the identical axis as the filler
element axis FA on the underside of the gas block 12. The fluid
connection 16, which, for example, comprises a pipe section introduced in
a sealed manner from the side into the liquid channel 6 below the liquid
valve 13 or the filler element 3, is connected outside the liquid channel
6 or the filler element 3 to the outlet of a metering pump 19 via an
actuatable (e.g. electrically or pneumatically controllable) stop valve
18, said metering pump also being controlled by the control unit 10 and
the input of said metering pump being connected to a line 20, which leads
to a storage container or tank (not represented) for the component ZK.
The metering pump 19 is realized such that it conveys a precisely defined
volume in the case of continuous operation for each pump revolution or in
the case of a pulsed or pulse-shaped method of operation in each cycle.

[0029]Each filler element 3 has associated therewith a container support
21, on which, in the embodiment represented, the respective bottle 2 is
held suspended at a flange 2.2 that is formed below the bottle mouth 2.1,
in such a manner that the bottle mouth 2.1 is at a spacing from the
underside of the filler element 3 and consequently from the discharge
openings 11 and 17 at that location and also from the bottom, open end of
a ring-shaped insert 22, such that the two components HK and ZK are
supplied to the respective bottle 2 to be filled as an open jet, as is
represented in FIG. 2.

[0030]The insert 22 surrounds the lower tubular housing section 5.1 of the
housing 5 forming the discharge opening 11 at a spacing, such that an
annular channel 23 is formed between the inside surface of the
ring-shaped insert 22 and the outside surface of the housing section 5.1.
In addition, the insert 22 extends downward somewhat beyond the underside
of the gas block 12 and also beyond the discharge openings 11 and 17 such
that once the bottom open end of the insert 22 has been closed by way of
a flushing cap 22.1, indicated by the broken line, and with liquid valve
13 open, a CIP cleaning operation is possible using a cleaning medium,
which, for example, traverses the liquid channel 6 from top to bottom and
is then conducted away via the annular gap 23 and a line 24 connected to
said annular gap. The discharge opening 17 and the associated liquid
paths (fluid connection 16, stop valve 18, metering pump 19, line 20
etc.) can be included in said CIP cleaning operation.

[0031]A possible mode of operation of the filling system 1 for the
introduction of the components HK and ZK can be seen in FIG. 2. Once the
bottle 2 to be filled is positioned on the container support 21, the
filling phase is introduced by opening the liquid valve 13, in which
filling phase the component HK is introduced into the bottle 2 through
the bottle opening 2.1 in the open jet. At the same time, with the stop
valve 18 open, by actuating the metering pump 19, a predetermined amount
of the component ZK is added in a precisely metered manner into the flow
of the component HK flowing to the bottle 2. As soon as the necessary
amount of the component ZK has been delivered via the discharge opening
17 and has consequently been introduced into the bottle 2, the
introducing of the component ZK into the respective bottle 2 is
terminated by blocking the stop valve 18 or by switching off the metering
pump 19, such that then up until the bottle 2 is completely filled, only
the component HK is still supplied. The filling phase is terminated in a
controlled manner by the signal of the flow meter 9 by closing the liquid
valve 13 once the desired fill volume has been achieved.

[0032]The mode of operation where the supplying of the component HK ends
before the liquid valve 13 is closed, has the advantage that in the
region of the discharge opening 17 or in the region of the underside of
the gas block 12, any potentially present residue of the component ZK is
entrained by the component HK and is introduced into the bottle 2
provided at the filler element 3, such that clear conditions prevail at
the start of each new filling phase. It is obvious that where there is a
plurality of filler element 3 on the rotor 4, there is an independent
metering pump 19 and an independent stop valve 18 provided for each
filler element 3 and they are individually controllable for each filler
element 3.

[0033]The filling system 1 also enables a change of the component HK
and/or ZK. The changing of the component HK is effected in the
conventional manner by emptying the filling system 1 with regard to the
component HK and, where applicable, by subsequently flushing and/or
cleaning the filling system 1 and also all the fluid connections and
paths inside the filler elements 3 preferably by using a CIP cleaning
method.

[0034]The achievement of using the gas block 20 is that once the liquid
valve 13 has been closed, i.e. at the end of each filling phase, the part
of the liquid channel 6 located below the liquid valve 13 continues to be
filled completely with the component HK without any dripping of the
filler element 3. In addition, the cross section of the fluid connection
16 or of the fluid channel forming said fluid connection, in particular
at the discharge opening 17 is selected such that after terminating the
discharging of the component ZK, i.e. once the valve 18 has been blocked
and the metering pump 19 switched off, the part of the fluid connection
16 extending between the stop valve 18 and the discharge opening 17
continues to be filled with the component ZK without any dripping from
the discharge opening 17. Consequently, at the start of each new filling
phase the two components HK and ZK are immediately available, i.e. with
no delay.

[0035]For changing the component ZK for another component ZK', for example
for a component that differs in taste and/or colour, corresponding to
FIG. 3, initially with liquid valve 13 closed, all the flow connections
that contain the component ZK used up to then are flushed in a flushing
process using a flushing medium, for example water or sterile water, in
particular the fluid connection 16, the opened stop valve 18, the
metering pump 19 and the line 20 leading to the metering pump 19, in so
far as they contain the component ZK. The metering pump is preferably
driven during said flushing operation. Said flushing is obviously
effected without any bottles 2 at the filler elements 3. The liquid
accumulating during the flushing process (flushing medium+residue of the
component ZK) is collected by a collecting tray 25 that is located
underneath the filler element 3 with suitable drainage. In the case of a
filling machine of the rotary type, said collecting tray 25 is provided,
for example, fixedly on a machine element below the path of movement of
the filler elements 3, in that angular region of the rotational movement
of the rotor 4 that is formed between a container outlet, at which the
filled bottles 2 are removed during the filling operation, and a
container inlet, to which the empty bottles 2 are supplied during the
filling operation, and also at which (angular region) no bottle 2 is
situated at the filler elements 3 during a normal filling operation.

[0036]Once the fluid connection 16, the stop valve 18, the metering pump
19 and the line 20 of each filler element 3 connected to the input of the
metering pump has been flushed, with the metering pump 19 still being
driven and with stop valve 18 open, the component ZK' is supplied or
drawn up just until said component has reached the discharge opening 17
or exits there. Since the volume previously flushed and collected from
the flushing liquid after the flushing process is known, this drawing up
of the component ZK' can be effected in principle through corresponding
control of the metering pump 19 or of the volume flow conveyed by said
pump.

[0037]If the collecting tray 25 is provided as described in a fixed manner
on the rotary type filling machine, the adapting or changing of the
component ZK to the component ZK' is effected in a sectional manner at
the filler elements 3 located in each case above the collecting tray 25
by rotating the rotor 4, e.g. by rotating the rotor 4 continuously but
very slowly or with the rotor 4 rotating in a clocked manner.

[0038]It has been assumed above that each filler element 3 has a common
metering pump 19 with stop valve 18 for the two components ZK and ZK' and
the two components are also conducted in a corresponding manner via the
line 20 to the metering pump 19. FIG. 4 shows a filling system 1a, which
differs from the filling system 1 in that at each filler element 3 an
independent metering pump 19 is provided in each case for the components
ZK and ZK', the input of said metering pump being connected via a line 20
to a storage container or tank for the relevant component. Each metering
pump 19 is connected via an independent, electrically controllable stop
valve 18 to the fluid connection 16 which is then common to the two
components.

[0039]In addition, the filling system la also enables the
volume-controlled introduction of the components ZK and ZK' into the
respective bottles 2 within one and the same filling phase. The
components ZK and ZK' are introduced into the respective bottle 2 for
this purpose in a time-delayed manner, for example through corresponding
actuation of the associated metering pump 19 and of the valve 18, in such
a manner that the introducing of the components ZK and ZK' is started
with one of said components, for example with the component ZK and is
also terminated with the same component such that after the filling of
each bottle 2, i.e. at the end of each fill phase, the same conditions
prevail with regard to the component ZK or ZK' pending at the discharge
opening 17.

[0040]FIG. 5 shows a filling system 1b, which differs from the filling
system 1 simply in that the discharge opening 17 for the component ZK or
ZK' is provided radially offset in relation to the filler element axis FA
or in relation to the axis of the discharge opening 11, in such a manner
that the discharge opening 17 is situated outside the discharge opening
11 and outside the gas block 12, however in the manner that the jet of
the component ZK or ZK' emerging out of the discharge opening 17 is
introduced reliably through the bottle opening 2.1 into the bottle 2
provided at the filler element 3.

[0041]In the case of the filling systems 1-1b, the tanks for the
components ZK and ZK' are provided for all the filler elements 3 or for a
group of several filler elements of the filling machine in common. The
metering pumps 19 and the associated stop valves 18, contrary to this,
are provided separately for the individual filler elements 3 and are
individually controllable.

[0042]FIGS. 6 and 7 show, as a further embodiment, a filling system 1c,
which differs from the filling system 1-1b in that the introducing of the
additional component ZK or ZK' is indeed once again outside the filler
element 3, but is already in the fluid connection between the tank 8 and
the relevant filler unit 3, i.e. in the line 7. For this purpose, an
independent, actuatable (e.g. electrically or pneumatically actuatable)
stop valve 26 is provided in the line 7 for each filler element 3, the
input of said stop valve communicating via a line section 7.1 with the
tank 8 and the output of said stop valve communicating via a line section
7.2 with the flow meter 9. The metering pump 27, once again provided
individually for each filler element 3, is connected via an actuatable
(e.g. electrically or pneumatically actuatable) stop valve 28 to the line
section 7.2. The input of the metering pump 27 is connected to a tank 29
for the component ZK or ZK', said tank being supplied with said component
via a line 30. The metering pump 27 is once again realized such that it
conveys a precisely defined volume, in the case of continuous operation
at every pump revolution or in the case of pulsed or pulse-shaped
operation in each cycle.

[0043]Once the bottle 2 has been positioned under the filler element 3 or
below the discharge opening 11 provided at that location with the gas
block 12 and once the filling phase has been introduced by opening the
liquid valve 13, during a part phase of said filling phase, after opening
the stop valve 28, the volume-controlled introduction of the component ZK
or ZK' into the line section 7.2 is effected via the metering pump 27,
preferably with the stop valve 26 blocked beforehand in order to avoid
ingress of the component ZK or ZK' into the tank 8 in a reliable manner.
The introducing of the component ZK or ZK' is terminated by closing the
stop valve 28 and by switching off the metering pump 27 so that the
filling of the respective bottle 2 with the component HK can be effected
or continued by opening the stop valve 26.

[0044]With consideration to the liquid volume that is located in the fluid
connection between the output of the stop valve 28 and the discharge
opening 11, the part filling phase, in which the component ZK or ZK' is
introduced into the line section 7.2, is selected such that and is
provided within the overall filling phase such that, with the component
HK flowing to the respective bottle 2, after the closing of the stop
valve 28 and opening of the stop valve 26, the entire portion of the
component ZK or ZK' introduced previously is entrained into the bottle 2
before the filling phase in terminated. As soon as the overall volume
(volumes of the component HK and the component ZK or ZK') measured by the
flow meter 9 corresponds to the desired fill quantity, the filling phase
is terminated by closing the liquid valve 13.

[0045]The filling system 1c obviously also allows a change between the
components ZK and ZK'. For this change, according to FIG. 7, with stop
valve 26 closed, stop valve 28 open and liquid valve 13 open, the tank
29, the metering pump 27, the stop valve 28, the line section 7.2, the
flow meter 9, the liquid channel 6 and the discharge opening 11 with the
gas block 12 are flushed with a suitable liquid flushing medium, for
example water such that all residue of the component ZK or ZK' used up to
then is removed. The liquid accumulating during this flushing operation
is once again collected in the collecting tray 25. After the flushing
operation, the new component ZK' or ZK to be used is first of all drawn
up in such a manner that said component is supplied via the line 30 such
that, with the stop valve 26 continuing to be closed and stop valve 28
open and liquid valve 13 open, it then fills out not only the tank 29 but
also the line section 7.2 and the liquid channel 6 and finally emerges at
the discharge opening 12. Following this, with stop valve 28 closed and
stop valve 26 open, the line section 7.2 and the liquid channel 6 are
flushed with the component HK such that at the end of the component
change, with liquid valve 13 closed once again, a state is reached in
which the entire line 7 and also the liquid channel 6 are filled with the
component HK.

[0046]Finally FIG. 8 shows a filling system 1d, which differs from the
filling system 1c only in that a separate tank 29 is provided for each
component ZK and ZK', said tank communicating with the line section 7.2
via the metering pump 27 and the stop valve 28, having the advantage,
among other things, that in the case of a component change, a flushing
operation of the respective tank 29, the associated metering pump 27 and
of the associated stop valve 28 is not necessary and it is also possible
to introduce the components ZK and ZK' into the bottle 2 during the
filling phase.

[0047]In the case of the filling systems 1c and 1d, the tanks 29 for the
components ZK and ZK' are provided, once again, common to all the filler
elements 3 or to a group of several filler elements of the filling
machine. The metering pumps 27 and the associated stop valves 28,
contrary to this, are provided separately for the individual filler
elements 3 and are individually controllable.

[0048]Common to all the embodiments described above is, among other
things, that the components ZK or ZK' are each added via the metering
pump 19 or 27 in a volume controlled manner, and that each metering pump
19 or 27 has associated therewith a stop valve 18 or 28, which, among
other things, enables a delay-free start and a delay-free termination of
the addition of the respective components ZK or ZK'.

[0049]In the case of the filling systems and in this case especially also
in the case of the filling systems 1-1b, it is also possible to control
or to regulate the portion of the component ZK or ZK' introduced into the
respective bottle 2 by using flow meters, which are then provided in
place of the metering pump 19 or 27 or in addition to said metering pump
in the liquid channel upstream or downstream of the stop valve 18 or 28,
which is then controlled by the control unit 10 as a function of the
signal from said flow meter.

[0050]The invention has been described above by way of exemplary
embodiments. It is obvious that numerous changes and conversions are
possible without in any way departing from the inventive concept
underlying the invention. Thus, the number of components that are
introduced into the bottles or containers in a selective manner or also
in each case together in addition to the main component HK can be
arbitrary.

[0051]The present invention can also be utilized to fill several different
products in parallel on one filling machine during the current operation
at one point in time. Thus, it is possible, for example, to fill all the
bottles 2 to be filled with the main component HK, a first addition
component ZK being supplied through the filler elements 3 of a first
number of bottles 2 and a second addition component ZK' being supplied
through the filler elements 3 of a second number of bottles 2. In this
case, the ratio between the first number of bottles 2 and the second
number of bottles 2 can be arbitrary. The spatial arrangement of the
first bottles 2 to the spatial arrangement of the second bottles can also
be arbitrary. For example, these can alternate or can also be provided in
blocks on the rotor 4. This method of operation makes it possible to
generate an arbitrary product mix without the need for any adaptation.